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Originally Posted by I<3MyBabies  Why do these breeders all have to come from the ACBA? Just out of curiosity. If they existed outside of it, would that make them inconsequential? Or could good be done by them? |
When you ask this kind of question, it tells me that you haven't been involved enough in the real world of breeding guinea pigs. You are in living in theory. And of course, I have hopes of that idyllic future when all breeders are responsible breeders, breeding for health and welfare. All pet care-takers, are well-informed and provide great and loving homes. We seem to just have very different opinions of how to get there--or somewhere remotely close to that.
Of course not all breeders come from the ACBA, BUT it is the ACBA who sets the rules, the standards, what is bred, etc. It is the members of the ACBA who influence, frequently judge and sometimes run all the little
cavy clubs and 4H clubs around the country. It is to their standards that the kids and backyard breeders subscribe. It is to their standards that their culls are dumped at the distributors, the pet stores, the auctions, the pet owners, etc.
It's an organization that is morally bankrupt in its view of animals. That is the organization that runs the fun shows at which the 'responsible' breeder must attend. One lone breeder trying to do good outside of that organization is like (well, pick your metaphor, mine aren't polite).